ESPN's latest mid-major rankings are out. The 4-Letter's voters pretty much confirm what we have all been thinking during the last couple of weeks about the Missouri Valley: thinks don't look good for getting multiple bids in the NCAA Tournament. Creighton and Wichita State are now No. 8 and No. 7 in the rankings, after being just behind Gonzaga for most of the season. I think it would be stomach-turning to think about the teams that have passed them. We should echo their pick for Jackie Carmichael as the player of the week. We ran a Game Score on the Illinois State forward's line last night, and while it wasn't the best of the evening, it was a strong 64 for the big man. Who know that Illinois State would come alive like this behind Carmichael given the way they started the conference slate?

Our newest writer, Parks, also happens to be a member of FanTalk Radio and has his own online radio show about college basketball in general and, more specifically, the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Why do you care? Because I now appear on a weekly basis to assist in his endeavor, and I'm awesome. Listen to the whole thing or just tune in around halfway, Skype bugs and all.

The Blackbirds' athletic director released this statement over the weekend: "LIU Brooklyn has suspended indefinitely four members of its men's basketball team for their involvement in a Sept. 14 altercation on campus. No other student-athletes were implicated in this incident. Until all legal and appeals processes have been completed, we will not comment further on this matter." Not just suspended from playing basketball, but suspended from school entirely. This is not going to end well.

As first reported by ESPN's Andy Katz, Saint Mary's University is currently under investigation by the NCAA for potential recruiting violations by the men's basketball team. It's only potential, but mere innocent possibilities alone don't get you all the way to NCAA investigation (which often means significant sanctions). Any chance it has something to do with Patty Mills, Matthew Bellavadova and the Austrailian connection?

Northern Iowa senior guard Anthony James has been suspended for the first three games of the upcoming season for an unspecified violation of team rules and athletic department policies. James is the most dynamic scorer on the Panthers' roster and will play a huge role in how much success the team has this year. However, the Panthers should be able to take care of business without him just fine, as the senior guard will miss games against Wartburg, Toledo and North Dakota. James will return in time to suit up against Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.